Storm-apron.



rrares iirn JOHN C. MENDENHALL, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO WILLIAM F. WILLIAMS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

STORNIHAPRON.

SPEUIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,899, dated November 18, 1902.

Application filed September 29, 1900. Serial No. 31,502. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN C. MENDENHALL, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Storm-Apron; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like gures refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient and economical means for readily securing a storm-apron to the dashboard of a buggy or carriage.

The general nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the description and claim following.

In the drawings, Figure l is the perspective of a buggy bed and top with the storni-apron in place. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the forward end of the storniapron to show the nature of the elastic spring therein and the clasp and their connecting means, and also showing the dashboard in plan. Fig. 3 is a plan of the forward edge of the storm-apron, parts being broken away.

In detail, l is a storm-apron for a buggy or carriage, the front end of which is secured to the dashboard 2 of a buggy-bed. Said stormapron is substantially rectangular, and for a portion of the distance along the frontl edge of it and midway of said front end it is provided with a fold 3, stitched along the edge of the fold at a to receive and hold a metal spiral spring 5, which at each end has a hook 6, that catches into a hole in an attaching and reinforcing piece of leather 7, that is secured by the rivet 8 to the apron and within the fold. Said pieces of leather are also stitched to the apron. To each of said pieces of leather 7 a spring-metal clasp 9 is secured, as here shown, by the rivet l0. The hook in the said clasp is turned downward or facing the under side of the storm-apron. The section of the front edge of said apron is separated from the two extreme edge portions ll thereof by a gore at 12, that is strengthened by the stay 13.

The portions 1l are long enough to enable the two sides of the storm-apron to hang down below the upper edge of the buggy-body, as shown in Fig. 1. The portion of the stormapron through which thespring extends is of slightly-greater length than the dashboard; but the spring 5 is normally of much less length, so that when the spring is stretched to catch the two clasps 9 to the side edges of the dashboard they will be held against said dashboard by considerable tension of the spring. Likewise said clasps, being made of spring metal, adapt themselves to dashboards of various thicknesses and in all cases tend to hold the storm-apron from slipping'down lower on the dashboard. Therefore this construction is not only a ready and efficient means of fastening the apron to the dashboard, but it can be made in stock and will it dashboards ofvarying lengths and also of varying thicknesses.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent, is-

A storm-apron comprising a body portion one edge of which is provided with a pair of spaced gores or incisions to provide an intermediate attaching-iap for engagement with the dashboard of a vehicle, said intermediate attaching-Hap being folded upon itself to form a sleeve, an attaching and reinforcing piece arranged in each end of said sleeve, a spring also arranged within said sleeve and having its ends connected to said attaching and reinforcing pieces, and clasps connected to said attaching and reinforcing pieces and projecting from the ends of said sleeve for engagement with the dashboard, whereby the apron is secured thereto.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

JOHN O. MENDENHALL.

Witnesses:

LAURA I-IITT, V. H. LocKwooD. 

